At my first acupuncture and moxibustion appointment I showed up with my sprained ankle and 34 week breech baby belly. I gave my personal history as well as answered a few questions and then we began the acupuncture. I took off my socks and shoes and laid on my side on what looked like a massage table. I had about 10 needles placed in my body on my feet, legs, arms, and head. I then laid in the dark for about 15 minutes relaxing. After the acupuncture treatment was completed, we started the moxibustion. Julie, who was recommended to me by friends, burned moxa, also known as dried mugwort, near my right baby toe. I felt the heat very close to my toe and immediately the baby started making some weird motions. The moxa is a stick that looks much like a hard cigar and smokes like a cigar. After 10 minutes of burning moxa it was over and Julie sent me home with more to continue for the next few nights. She suggested to me to have my husband burn the moxa over alternating feet for 5-10 minutes each night for a few nights.

Kooky enough for you? Here’s the truly kooky part. When I showed up at the appointment my sprained ankle was throbbing from too much walking that day. When I left the appointment my ankle felt weak but I was in absolutely zero pain. I even walked up the two flights of stairs to my home without cringing and limping. I hope it keeps. I can’t believe how good it felt the minute I left.

At the time of my writing this post I’m not sure if the baby has turned. I believe that she will move into the right position, but I’d like to help her out. Raffi turned breech for a few days in my third trimester, but he turned back with a few simple exercises. With this stubborn breech girl, I’ve tried the following:

– acupuncture + moxibustion
– laying on an ironing board that is propped against the couch
– getting on all fours and moving my body from side to side (I compare it to a dog wagging her tail)
– not leaning back (although I’m not sure if I made this up or if someone told me to do it)

Any other tips? I strongly feel that the sprained ankle situation contributed to her turning breech, and I don’t think it is her natural, most comfortable position. Help me turn my breech baby please!

Sabrina, of RhodeyGirl Tests, had her first boy in September 2011 with her husband Trig. At the time of this post Raffi was 17 months old and Sabrina was 35 weeks pregnant with baby #2, a girl. You can read other related posts on her blog.

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Go to spinningbabie.com for some exercises to try. They helped me when, earlier on, my baby kept going transverse and it was really painful to have a watermelon in me sideways. This shifted her back down. Many moms say it flips a breech baby.

I think I commented on your original blog post, but I was able to flip my son who had flipped to breech at 37w by rubbing peppermint essential oil on my upper belly. Baby can smell the strong scent and will try and turn away from it (so I was told by an all-natural-“crunchy” friend of mine). I figured it was worth a shot and only cost me about $7 for the bottle, which I now add to my all purpose kitchen cleaner.
Good luck!

http://www.quietyoumothers.com/ Aimee

You can also try a chiropractor knowledgeable in the Webster technique. You can try holding something cold (an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas) near her head and play music near her tush.

Nothing worked, but I learned in my c-section I have extenuating circumstances that we didn’t know about.

jamie

My ob-gyn told me the majority of babies will turn on their own between 38-40 weeks. Mine turned on their own late, like 39 weeks.

Darcy

with my DS the reason he never flipped was because he had a short umbilical cord. Who knew that was even possible?? So I’m really glad we didn’t try the inversion… My DD was then Frank Breech. I had planned on a repeat csection anyway so I didn’t need to flip her. Turns out her head was sorta lodged in my ribs so maybe she should have been turned… her head was way crooked until about 6 months 😛

Toni

I hope that the accupuncture and moxa work for you. I’ve had two breech babies. With my first I tried the ironing board trick and all other at home exercises. My son was in breech position the first time we saw him in the ultrasound and stayed that way until my c-section. He was comfortable.

My 3rd child was breech. This time, I tried all at home exercises and went to the chiropractor trained in the Webster technique. I saw the chiro for 6 weeks (three times a week). The baby started out complete breech and my doctor and I thought she turned head down. When I went into labor the nurse at the hopsital checked me and said, “I think your 6 cm but it’s hard to tell because 2 feet are sticking out” so emergency c-section is was. I would try the chiro. It didn’t hurt, it was a simple spine adjustment meant to make more room in the pelvic area for the baby to turn. The fact that my LOs feet were down made me think that perhaps she tried turning but didn’t quite make it in time.

I should add that both times I considered a vaginal breech delivery. I had a schuduled c-section the first time, but actually went into labor with my 3rd child and that labor with a breech baby was SO MUCH more painful than my 2nd VBAC labor and delivery. It was seriously the worst pain I’ve ever experienced and my doctor wouldn’t deliver a feet first baby but I don’t know if I would have been able to labor and deliver as pain was so intense. Good luck, I’m sending baby turning vibes your way!

Meg

I tried all the things you have tried, plus the Webster technique, plus any other tripe I found on the internet. None of it worked. I had a c-section. It’s not the end of the world. In fact, I enjoyed the c-section experience so much that I opted for another one for my second baby.

Emily K

My breech baby wouldn’t turn – we tried moxibustion, bouncing on an exercise ball, and ultimately an ECV. She was just out of space to turn in. I was disappointed at first to have a c-section, but it ended up being a great experience. I got a good night’s sleep the night before and felt great going into the delivery. I really hope your baby turns, but if not, just know that once s/he is here, how the delivery happened won’t be such a big deal.

Karen D

My breech baby wouldn’t turn on her own. I didn’t try any at-home methods but did go into the hospital at 36 weeks and allow my doctor (plus another doctor) to “manually” turn her. Manually means just that–they used their hands to push and pull and got her into the usual position. Of course, we had to do this at the hospital because it could have sent me into labor. Fortunately my daughter stayed head down and she was delivered vaginally 8 days past her due date.

Shellie

My son was transverse breech at 36 weeks with one foot in the birth canal. The dr recommended a spinal and a procedure to physically turn him. My husband found a chiropractor that specialized in turning breech babies. I was not a believer, but was not keen on the procedure that the dr had recommended. When I went to the chiropractor, they indicated that it usually took about 4 visits to get the baby to turn. Right after visit 4, he turned and stayed turned until delivery. The chiropractic process was very gentle and consisted of her applying pressure at various spots. Whether he would have turned anyway or the chiropractic adjustments made him turn, I frankly did not care. To avoid a spinal and a dr “forcing” him to turn I would have done much more!

Christina in Canada

I did the hands and knees method, making sure that my butt was higher than my head, for both my babies where were breech. both of them eventually turned, but who knows if what I did helped at all? My grandmother did tell me though that in “her day” women were encouraged to clean their baseboards when they were 8 months pregnant as the position and motion you use is ideal to make sure the baby was head down.

Lauren

The Webster technique has helped several friends of mine. My husband is a chiropractor and has seen it help a lot of breech babies turn.

Bev

Most turn on their own – they don’t need to turn until they are ready, right before birth. You have plenty of time.

If not, c-section. My c-sections were AWESOME!! I recoverd so much quicker!! Who cares since all you want is a healthy baby.

Kate

tips I’ve heard for turning breech babies- an acquaintence swore this worked for her 3rd trimester breech baby over the course of a week:

1) shine a flashlight low on you belly
2) have significant other talk to the baby only below the belly button close to your belly
3) place something colder high on your belly with something warm below the belly button

Toni

To add on to my previous comment (#7) — I totally forgot that I tried EVC with my first breech baby and I found it to be really unpleasant (How did I forget this? Perhaps I blocked it out!) It is amazing how much pressure the Doctors put on my belly to try and get the baby to flip. I honestly couldn’t believe it when it happened but the doctor’s knuckles were white as he pressed and pushed to filp my son. My baby would rotate slightly and as soon as the pressure was off he returned to his comfortable breech position. After that first (unsuccessful, painful) experience I had no interest in trying this technique when my other baby was breech.

Mom of three

All 3 of my babies were breech up until around 34 weeks. I put a flashlight against my belly, right at the bottom. I had heard that babies turn toward the light. I kept the flashlight there for at least an hour. All 3 of them turned the next day. It seemed to be quite a process for them to turn and I think it took almost the whole day, but by the time I went to my next doctors appointment, they were all in the correct position. Good luck!

http://babycenter.com HN

Some research has shown that for some people, a few sessions of training in self-hypnosis (and practice at home) is an effective way to “flip” a breech baby. Self-hypnosis is really just a way of learning to focus your attention in a specific way. The key is focusing on overall relaxation, and then allowing/trusting gravity to do the work of “flipping” the baby. That is, because the head is the heaviest part, it is likely to ‘want to’ turn downwards. You might consider making an appointment with a psychologist or other mental health practitioner who is trained and certified in hypnosis.

Janet

A labor nurse at a pregnancy class I went to with my first baby gave the suggestion of playing music at the bottom of your belly. Babies are naturally curious so she will gravitate toward the sound thereby hopefully turning herself head down. I bought a pair of cheap, old-school foam headphones so they would have a bigger surface area and I could put one on each side of my belly. Hope this helps!

Tania

Pregnancy yoga will have some good positions to help baby get into best birthing position. The on all fours position is good – there are different movements you can do while in this position that also feel great for painful backs/hips. Also sitting on birthing balls- puts you in a slight leaning forward position with your knees lower than your hips- I remember this tip from antenatal classes. Wishing you all the best to turn bub and for your upcoming birth.

Pennie

I remember a few moms in my birth club having success with sitting in a warm bath and putting a bag of frozen peas at the top of their belly. They had to do it more than once though – the baby kept going back. Good luck and congrats!

Sue

We burned moxa. When it was time for my son to be born he was too tangled to descend and I had to have a C-section. I always wondered if using the moxa to get him to turn contributed to him being so tangled.

Kelly

I’d like to second the comment about hypnosis. My baby wasn’t breech, but self hypnosis (hypnobirthing) made labor so much easier. If you can find an experienced hypnobirthing instructor, it would be ideal to have one on one coaching. If not, hypnobabies.com has breech baby turn scripts you could use.http://nurturinglifehypnotherapy.com/blog/breech-baby/

Sam

My baby was breach at 37 weeks and I tried the ironing board, ice packs, music near my pelvis and finally a chiropractor. That seemed to do the trick and while I was super skeptical of chiropractors before I absolutely credit this guy with ensuring I didn’t have a c-section.

B

I did this too! And ultimately, in my opinion, it’s what worked to make my at 8+lb baby girl flip somewhere in my 37th week. Keep doing the moxa each night. Check with your acupuncturist – I think we did it a few times each day. I tried everything else mentioned here too, except the peppermint oil (that one is new, I would have tried it). What I liked about the moxa was that my acupuncturist explained that if there was a medical reason why the baby was breech (prob with the cord, etc), she simply would stay put and not flip. I liked that it was so non-invasive, just like the stuff on spinningbabies. Keep trying it all, and keep up the moxa. Try to relax and not get too stressed about it.

Even if she doesn’t flip, and you need a c/s (I don’t know many docs or hospitals that will let you deliver a breech baby anymore due to possible risks, and the OBs aren’t experienced enough with breech vaginal births anyway), stay calm. There is a reason why she’s entering the world this way, and just thing: with a stubborn little girl like this, you’re in for one heck of a ride when she hits the teenaged years! Focus on the baby, not the way she arrives in the world. Good luck!

Courtney

I tried a couple home remedies, ice back near the head (which was very uncomfortably up in my ribs), putting headphones with music on near my pelvis, getting on all fours. He decided to come early though between my 37-38th week, not sure if he would have flipped or not. I considered going to a chiropractor to have the Webster technique also but ran out of time

Tina Tong

My baby was in breech. I did not try too many things. He stayed in breech, so I had a c-section and he was out at 39 weeks.

His right leg is weaker than his left. His orthopedic doctor and neurologist suspect that he did not get as much exercise in the womb for his right leg because he was in breech.

Allison

At 36 weeks, my daughter was breech. My doc said I would need a c/s and I was determined to avoid that at all costs. Every single day, I did the Open Knee-Chest position at least once. I don’t know if that is what did it, but she was flipped by 39 weeks and we had a normal head-first vaginal delivery.

Ivana’s momm

It is time for.you to “clean the base boards” get down on your need and put your elbows on the floor then raise your back, like cats do, stay there for as long as you can. The baby will try to take the pressure off his head and HOPEFULLY will turn. I did it with my baby girl and it worked. Good luck with that baby.

liz

i too tried yoga and the flashlight trick and some other odds and ends but ended up with a stubborn little breech baby (who i might add is still quite stubborn at 17 months haha). we decided against manipulation as i just wasn’t convinced it was right for us. i had a feeling baby girl was just where she needed to be. although the percentages are in your favor that she’ll flip on her own, be prepared that she won’t. my sweet girl did not and broke my water a week before my scheduled c-section. i will say it gave me time to be at peace with the c-section and not with the natural birth i had hoped for. all in all, i found the c-section to be on par with what i expected if not a little easier. i was moving around much quicker than anyone could believe. i wish you the best and hope your methods work but i do suggest giving thought to the c-section alternative. it truly helps to have some mental preparedness i think. and i was the one who skipped all the c-section articles in books and magazines, i’ll never need to know this i told myself 😉

Angela

Have you gone to a chiropractor? My son was breech & I also tried everything to get him to turn, but he was so big there was no way that was happening (9lbs at birth). I had to come to terms with having a c-section, but in the end it turned out fine. GL!

Suzanne

I tried everything except the chiropractor. I actually had a chiro appointment and then backed out. My son was breech for the entire pregnancy. At about 32 weeks, my doctor brought it to my attention as a potential problem. I tried a cold compress on his head, a warm compress on his butt, a flashlight, laying on the ironing board, acupuncture, moxibustion at the office and at home. Finally, I even did an external version at the hospital at 37 weeks. It is the single most painful experience I have had and it failed (but I am glad I tried it, I really wanted a vaginal birth for baby’s sake).

We had a scheduled C-section at 39 weeks. It was quite relaxing and pleasant to clean my house, pack my bag, and drive over for my “baby appointment.” No wondering, no walking the halls for hours, no labor. We drove to the hospital and 2 hours later I had a perfect 10 lb 9 oz baby without a single contraction. My doctor commented, “No wonder he didn’t turn- he didn’t have any room in there!”

Recovery was not bad at all. I was scared of my first BM, but it was not too bad. Two tips if you have a C-section: 1- press a pillow to your abdomen and bend into it if you need to cough. 2- get a postpartum belly binder. My hospital nurse suggested it and it was a lifesaver in the weeks following the surgery.

Turning a breech baby can be risky business. Although this can be a very scary situation the strength and courage to make any decision having this in mind is admirable.
Ayn Cates Sullivan shares her inspirational experience delivering a breech baby and how with the help of her intuition she knew and was later confirmed, that it was the best and safest decision for her and her son.
Inform yourself here!

Lisa

I just found out that my baby is breech as well. We are going to try to do a turning this week and hope it works! I will try just about anything to get her to turn. I also saw that accupuncture is supposed to work. My chiropractic office offers it so I might need to try that out as well.

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